Abstract
Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNFα) medications are the most frequently used biologicals to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Little is known about the ocular side effects of this drug category. We present a case series of six young patients with Crohn disease (CD) and no previous ophthalmologic manifestations who developed blepharitis after commencing treatment with anti-TNFα therapy. Six otherwise healthy patients with CD, with no history of allergies or prior ocular complaints, developed blepharitis at a median of 7.5 months after the initiation of anti-TNFα therapy. All ophthalmic findings were treated topically. The ocular symptoms of two of the patients resolved shortly after discontinuation of the anti-TNFα treatment. The other four presented with relapsing-remitting symptoms. Blepharitis is a common ocular disease in the general population and an extra-intestinal manifestation in patients with IBD. It may be an adverse effect of anti-TNFα therapy in this patient population.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 836-840 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Israel Medical Association Journal |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 12 |
State | Published - Dec 2023 |
Keywords
- adverse events
- anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNFα)
- blepharitis
- inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)